Improvement in hubs and axles



To all lwhom it may concern.:

PATENT N WILLIAM HWARD, or'r AUBURN', New Yonx.

iMPRov'E-MENTIN Huss AND AxLEs.

Y Specification forming part of Letters Patent o. 173,746, dated February 22, 18776; application lfiled o April 11, 1873. l

Be in known that {,WILLIM H. WARD, formerly of Auburinlew York, now ot' the city and countyof Alexandria, in the State of l Virginia, have invented certain' new and useful Improvements in Hubs and Axles for Ve-4 hicles, of which the following is a specification:

- My object is to obtainl` anl axle without a shoulder, and thereby lessenV the liability of the axle to break oli'4 at'such points. This l 'doby constructing the axle of two oppositely formed tapers, giving the eiiect of twowedges joined at their butts. VOne of these tapering parts is formed of angular surfaces, to receive a sectional sleeve of interior angular form to lock it from turning, while the hub-sleeve revolves upon the longv taper, and the two are prevented from havingany endwise inovement upon the axle, as they join each other at the junction of the double tapers of the axle, and are thus prevented from having any endwise movement thereon, and thereby dispense with axle-collars. A separate collar fastens the sectional sleeve securely upon the tapering inelines.

In the claimsI shall specifically point out and embrace what is new to ine.

The state of the art shows that a metallic hub and sleeve combined, closed at its outer end, and held in place upon the axle by a sectional screw-sleeve tting within a recess in the axle, and secured by a shoulder thereon, is not new; but in such case boththe hub and its holdin g-serew sleeve turn together, and the axle has .several shoulders formed upon the bearing portion thereof for securing the hub'l thereon. A wooden hub has also been clamped between two caps, one of which is made integral with the bearing-sleeve, and the other secured by a closed screw-cap, and in which the axle is provided with the usual shoulder for securing the hub to the axle. My improvements embrace an essentially different feature-an axle of two oppositely tapering suri faces for holding the hub thereon without shoulders or recesses formed upon said axle.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents an elevation ofa hub and axle embracing iny invention; Fig. 2, a longitudinal section of the same; Fig. 3, a detached sectional view of the. hub-sleeve disk; Fig. 4, a

`a elosetitting joint.

detached view of one of the sections of the ,screw-locking sleeve; Fig.`5, a cross-section lat the lineal 'a of Fig. 2; Fig. 6, views of the opposite ends ofthe sectional sleeve 5 and Fig.

7, a view of the double-tapered axle.

Upon the' axle Aa long metallic sleeve,H, is 'fitted to revolve, and, being Vclosed at its `outer end It, incloses the axle `to retain the grease and exclude'the'dust,'and formV an end bearing. It is'` provided near its inner end Witha tiange or disk, H2, made integral with the sleeve, and' concave on its inner end, and projecting sufficiently to form the inner head for the hub, which is ot' wood, torest against, the hub being of ycorresponding form to make Uponthis sleeve, and against the opposite end of the hub, is fitted asecond disk, K, also concave on its inner side 'to it the corresponding end of the hub,

`and between these two concavedisks the hub C is secured and clamped. The sleeve H has a projecting neck back of the inner flange or disk H2, and has suitable rings and groovesformed thereon, as shown at b, Figs. 2 and 3, to receive corresponding rings and grooves formed upon the interior portion of a short metallic sleeve, E, also secured upon the axle at the inner end of the hub, the function of which is to t within each other, and lock the long sleeve in place upon the axle. This short sleeve is made in'two equal sections to allow it to be fitted and clamped in place upon the axle and the projecting screw-neck ofthe hubsleeve; and the hub being clamped upon the latter, the long sleeve revolves within the screw-neck of the short fixed sleeve. y The axle is made with a double taper, that portion upon which the long sleeve turns being tapered from the junction of the short fixed sleeve with the long sleeve to the outer in'closed end, and that portion upon which the short sleeve is clamped being tapered from such joining-line in an opposite direction upon the axle, as shown at f, the said inward tapers terminating in points upon the square sides ofthe axle. These op,- positely-formed tapers hold the two sleeves upon their proper relative positions upon the axle, so that they cannot move endwise thereon, but must remain, when secured, and hold the hub and wheel upon the axle-bearing. The ringed portion of the sectional sleeve is enlarged to receive the groov'cd neck of the long sleeve, inclose .;i t, an d t snugly against the ange H2 to form a close joint, and prevent the grease from working out. The rear portion of the sectional sleeve has a screw-thread, A a, formed thereon, and which threaded portion disks more tightlyrupon the axle,land causing` thewheel and its clamps to be fixtures for-all practical purposes in keeping the wheel and its hub solid. To prevent the securing-sleeve from unscrewing, it is provided with a screw,j, wh ich ,when tightened down upon the threaded sleeve, willllock the nut F securely. The outer concave ,disk K is secured and clamped upon the axle-sleeve against the hub by means of a nut, K', screwed over and upon a thread, d, formed upon the outer end of the sleeve; and this nut is also secured by a screw passing through it against the sleeve, so that these partsimust turn together with the sleeve and the wheel.

For lubricating the axle, a hole is made in the sleeve at any suitable point, and tted with a plug, c, from the outside. The grease lubricates' the axle and the interlocking rings of :the sleeve.

If desired, suitable packing may be introduced at the point where the xed sectional sleeve joins the revolving disk H2, to prevent all escape of the oil at the wearing-joint.

The hub is provided with the usual openings for the spokes. and melatten-may bie secured in any suitable way to insure tight joints. Y

lThe long sleeve and its hub may be formed of a single metal casting, if desired, and the inner `disk and its clanip-nut by this means dispensed with.

vThe following is claimed as new in wheeled hubs and their axles, namely:

v 1. The axle providedfwith the angular surface-inclines f joining the tapering part A, and combined with sectional sleeve E, having interior angles, and the hubsleeve H, whereby the sectional sleeve is prevented from turning upon the axle, and the hub secured thereby, as described.

2. The combination, with the axle having the tapering and angular-surface parts A f for the tixed and revolving sleeves E H101' the separate collar F, whereby the sections ofthe Iixedsleeve E are clamped fast to the angular` inclines f andto the innersleevems described.

3. vThe combination, with the double-tapered axle, ofthe sleeve H E, the concavcclampingdisks H2 K for vthe hub, and the securing and adjusting nuts F and Kl for' `the disks, substantially as set forth.

Given under my hand a'thProvidence, Rhode Island, this 15th day of April, 1873,

W. H. WARD.

Witnesses:

HENRY J. JOHNSON, EDWIN M. OOYELL. 

